Striking teachers voted to go back to work and then marched on Parliament yesterday to show their frustration at low pay.

Their change of heart after five days of empty schools staved off a possible injunction which could have seen teachers arrested for contempt of court.

Government argued teachers were breaking the law by continuing to strike after Labour Minister Terry Lister referred the strike to mandatory arbitration.

Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) lawyer Juliana Jack said: “The membership almost unanimously voted to go back to school on Monday.

“The BUT executive said between 600 and 700 teachers voted to go back with maybe 20 against.

“It's great news. The judge was very pleased and the injunction proceedings were dismissed as there was no need for them. It was explained to the court they had already got a licence to march.”

BUT president Anthony Wolffe said: “We are of the opinion that any reasonable body or panel hearing our submission would recognise that our case is fair and just. In light of this fact the membership voted this morning to cease industrial action at this time to allow the process to begin.”

Education Minister Paula Cox welcomed the news. She said: “It's important for teachers to get back to work and students to get back into the classrooms.”

Both sides have yet to name their chosen representative on the arbitration panel.

Mr.. Lister said: “Come Monday I will be writing to both the Ministry of Education and the BUT inviting them to put forward an individual to sit on the arbitration panel.

“There will be a panel of three chaired by lawyer Shirley Simmons. These three individuals will sit down, take a good hard look at the documentation . . . and will come up with a solution that should be satisfactory to both. I am very pleased that we have reached this point and I am looking forward to the teachers being back in the classroom, but even more I am looking forward to a settlement that all sides can live with.”

Asked what had been achieved by the strike BUT general secretary Mike Charles said: “It's very simple to say you haven't achieved anything because you have lost money.

“But in order to make a cake you have to break eggs.”

He said the struggle would strengthen the union's hand in the negotiations.

Asked if teachers would strike if the arbitration didn't get the teachers a better deal Mr. Charles said: “That something down the road. That will solely depend on what the membership does.”

He said he hoped to get together with labour relations officers on Monday to find out how the arbitration would work.

“We want to get that done as quickly as possible.”

Around 800 marchers circled Parliament yesterday before BUT President Anthony Wolffe addressed Ms Cox on the steps of the parliament.

Mr Wolffe said it was sad that it teacher had been forced to take action.

“There is very little value and respect given by a Government for what teachers do.”

Ms Cox said teachers were making a powerful statement with their demonstration.

Opposition Labour spokeswoman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin called for a bipartisan commission of inquiry which she said had worked well for the teachers in the late 1980s.

She said it could look at teacher morale as well as pay.

UPB Education spokesman Tim Smith said teachers had displayed a “heck of a lot of courage” with their stand.

“They were hoping the Government would have displayed and returned an equal amount of courage. Instead the Government have used legal manoeuvres.”

He said issues had been allowed to fester by the education ministry.

Mr. Wolffe thanked the public for their support and said overseas and local unions had voiced their support for the teachers.

Asked if overseas teachers would be discouraged from coming to Bermuda Mr. Charles said expatriate teachers were already finding it hard.

“If you talk to our new teachers the money they are offered looks very attractive until they come here and have to start spending money on rent and utilities.

“We have a complaints from a number of our new teachers that they are shocked at what is left after paying the bills.”

Mr. Charles said Senator David Burch's statement that teachers had been given the same rises as civil servants over the last ten years didn't show the whole picture as teachers had started on a lower figure despite a bump up.

He said the union would continue to push for parity with other Government professional graduates.

The union says pay gripes are hastening the departure of already scarce male teachers.